Cricket-Stokes issues Ashes rallying cry for England players


Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Second Test - The Gabba, Brisbane, Australia - December 7, 2025 England's Ben Stokes looks on during a press conference after losing the second test REUTERS/Hollie Adams

Dec 15 (Reuters) - England captain Ben Stokes has called for his teammates to "show a bit of dog" as they look to fight back from two losses in the third Ashes test in Adelaide from Tuesday.

After Australia eased to victory in the second test in Brisbane, Stokes had said his dressing room was "no place for weak men" as he called for the England players to show courage against the dominant hosts.

"It's just trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in and understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team. Just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That's fight to me," Stokes told reporters on Monday.

"As long as you go out there and everyone is in that mindset around the situation and what is needed, you're giving yourself the best possible chance if you've got a bit of dog in you."

Stokes said his team had taken inspiration from their fighting spirit in the third test against India in July, when they bounced back from a loss to clinch a 22-run victory at Lord's.

"That was a moment where we all did that, we all noticed and we all identified that moment," he said.

"You saw the way the team came out on that day. We were probably in a situation where we would have to be absolutely perfect to win that game, and we were.

"The main thing is, we're 2-0 down. We need to win the next three."

Only one team has ever come back from 2-0 down to win a series in nearly 150 years of test cricket - Don Bradman's Australia in the home Ashes of 1936/37.

(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Cricket

Cricket-Former England bowler Anderson 'hated every minute' of The Hundred
Cricket-England's Brook, Bethell let off with warning over NZ nightclub altercation
Cricket-Kerr’s unbeaten 179 powers New Zealand to record ODI chase against South Africa
Cricket-Connolly hits reset button and fires Punjab to victory on IPL debut
Cricket-Maxwell, Konstas dropped from Australia's contracted players list
Cricket-County cricket to allow fully participating replacements, BBC reports
Cricket-PCB imposes two-match ban on Fakhar for ball-tampering in PSL
Cricket-Kaif and Chawla back Sooryavanshi for fast-track to India T20 squad
Cricket-Australia coach McDonald backs Green to retain place in test squad
Cricket-PCB fines Naseem Shah over social media post

Others Also Read